Oh RNC, honestly (or not!)? How the RNC asks people to work the system against health care reform

This afternoon, I received the following message from the RNC:

Subject: Your Call Can Make the Difference

** URGENT CALL TO ACTION ** After months working in secret behind closed doors, Harry Reid this week finally unveiled his 2,074-page government-run health care plan. His plan would increase health care premiums, increase taxes on families and small businesses by half a trillion dollars, cut Medicare by another half trillion dollars, and allow federal funds to be used for abortions. Click here for 10 things you should know about the bill. Harry Reid has scheduled a critical vote this Saturday night that will allow the Senate to take-up his bill. If that vote succeeds, Harry Reid will be dangerously close to finally imposing President Obama's government-run health care scheme on America. Two Democrat Senators - Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) - are critically important to defeating Saturday's vote. The RNC urges every concerned citizen to call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's liberal bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday. This is the best opportunity there will be to stop President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi from imposing their government-run health care plan on America. Again, please call Sens. Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln TODAY and tell them to vote against Harry Reid's health care bill when it comes up for a vote on Saturday. Republican National Committee | 310 First Street, SE | Washington, D.C. 20003 p: 202.863.8500 | f: 202.863.8820 | e: info@gop.com Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street, SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Unsubscribe Copyright 2009 Republican National Committee

Et tu, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued new guidelines for pap smears, which screen for cervical cancer. Previously, they suggested beginning testing after becoming sexually active and testing annually starting in your twenties. Now, they say women in their 20s only need to be checked every two years and testing should begin after 21. Women in their thirties should only be tested every three years after three clear test results, according to the new guidelines. The new guidelines are based on the newer science, which also shows that unlike other cancers, cervical cancer tends to be slow growing and the doctors say that less frequent testing will lead to less frequent procedures, which, they claim, could lead to disrupted fertility.

Cervical cancer rates have dropped by 50% due to regular pap testing.

The ACOG is quick to add that this should not disrupt women's annual exam schedule.

In the last month, women's health care  has taken a heavy and hard hit. Women's reproductive care hit the metaphorical equivalent of the Great Wall of China with the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which just received endorsement from the US Conference on Catholic Bishops. Prominent women, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner have publicaly criticized and opposed this amendment, saying it is an insult to women's health care and an assault on privacy and access to legal care.

Next, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced that it is changing its guidelines for mammography and no longer recommends routine screening for women between the ages of 40 and 49. The American Cancer Society, however, continues to "recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40."

Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer, American Cancer Society said, “The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40.

"Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider. When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions."

It's a Mad World in the US House of Representatives when it comes to Health Care Reform

The US House of Representatives just asked women to take a sucker punch in the ovaries, "Sacrifice your fair access to LEGAL health care for the GREATER GOOD."

I think women have been sacrificing too much for too long for the greater good. Elected officials -- put in office, by the way, most likely largely by women -- have no right to not ask but IMPOSE such a sacrifice on women.

I don't think it's time to suck it up and take another one for the team, with all due respect, Madame Speaker Pelosi, and I'm flabbergasted you think that's the right thing to do.

Let's get one thing crystal clear: I am personally opposed to abortion. That's right, I am. My husband and I rejected prenatal testing and even had a specialist threaten to drop us from care because we would not sign a paper agreeing to selective reduction or abortion.That was our choice for us, and we don't extend our personal choices or morals to anyone else.

What we do extend to others is a trust and respect in their ability to choose what is best for them and their family and their own life situation.That's because we inherently believe in the individual's right to free will and choice.

Sort of, you know, like the founding principles of the great nation of the USA.

That's also my guiding principle behind believing utterly in a woman's right to choose for her reproduction, a legal right, by the way.

Hear My Story: I’m insured (for now), but I want health insurance reform

MOMocrats are honored and happy to welcome successful author and advocate Melissa Stanton as a guest blogger covering the ongoing health care reform discussion. Today, the Senate Finance Committee is voting on the health bill. It's a landmark day, and hopefully the Senate will hear voices such as Melissa's on this topic. She offers the perspective so many of us can relate to: a "rags to riches to rags to riches. . ." history of on again/off again health care. Read on for Melissa's story. . .

I’m very lucky. I have health insurance through my husband's corporate job.

That coverage, though, requires that we pay several hundred dollars a month out-of-pocket toward the premiums, and of course for the deductibles, co-pays, etc. But, we didn’t have to apply for the insurance, and since it’s a group health plan, we couldn’t be denied coverage due to any pre-existing conditions. (Have you heard? A c-section can be considered a pre-existing condition.)

Although my family is currently blessed with decent employer-sponsored health coverage, I am a strong believer in health insurance reform, including a public option. Experience tells me that good fortune doesn't always last.

As a child in the mid-1970s, my father and stepfather were both unemployed at the same time due to corporate layoffs. Although my mother and my dad's wife worked, neither had jobs with health coverage. I remember being very sick (with some strange allergy that left me puffed up and covered in hives) and not being able to see a doctor due to our lack of health insurance, and money.

As an adult, my insurance fortunes have varied between near rags and comparative riches.

I landed a staff job with benefits soon after college. However, when the magazine I worked for folded, I spent $400 a month for medical and dental coverage premiums as an unmarried 25-year-old. My access to coverage came through COBRA, the federal law that allows workers to keep their employer-sponsored health benefits for 18 months after a job loss by paying the full cost of the premiums. (In response to the bad economy and the escalating cost of insurance premiums, President Obama signed legislation earlier this year enabling laid off employees to pay just 35 percent of the cost of coverage for nine months. While $350 a month in premiums sure is better than, say, $1,000, it's still a big bill to foot when you're unemployed. Not only that, the discount and the coverage expires.)

Fortunately, I immediately found work after that layoff; however, my new employer (one of the largest magazine publishing companies in the world) hesitated to put people on staff, lest it have to pay for benefits and absorb other employee costs. So I worked as a freelancer, or “independent contractor,” which meant I did the same work as staff members did, but without any insurance, paid vacation, 401-k or job protections. Marriage eventually supplied me with coverage, as did my eventual hiring as a full corporate citizen worthy of a fantastic package of employee benefits.

A decade later, when my husband lost his Wall Street-area, Internet-industry job due to layoffs and accepted a hard-to-turn-down consulting position in Maryland, I left my corporate career in New York. Although I redirected my work efforts toward freelance assignments and caring for our toddler son, because my spouse received no employee benefits (remember, he was a consultant), I sought out a family-flexible retail job that paid just $10 an hour but provided health insurance for a 30 hour week. (These days, with employers, and especially retail employers, slashing hours and benefits, such a work-for-the-insurance option might be nearly impossible to find.)

Soon after, I became pregnant with twins. I quickly became too sick to work and was put on bed rest. I had to quit the job. (I hadn’t been there long enough for disability leave.) We wound up paying nearly $1,000 a month for family coverage premiums through COBRA. We were lucky to be able to keep (and afford) the employer-contracted group coverage. If we'd been forced to shop for private insurance on the open market, the cost would have likely been higher, and my pregnancy would almost certainly have been deemed a pre-existing condition and excluded from coverage. By the time our 18-month access to COBRA expired my husband had become a staff employee, and with that change in status we were once again the beneficiaries of employer-sponsored insurance.

Domestic Violence: Women Under Attack from All Angles Receive Support from President, Violence UnSilenced

This month is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At a time when domestic violence facts are shocking -- 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, among other distressing statistics put out by the Domestic Violence Resource Center -- and many insurers are excluding domestic violence as a pre-existing condition, understanding domestic violence is crucial. Domestic violence is on the rise despite the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (co-sponsored by then Senator Biden).

On October 1, President Obama issued a proclamation (included in its entirety at the end of this article) for National Domestic Awareness Month 2009

During this month, we rededicate ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence. By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation's victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone.

Initiatives such as Violence UnSilenced -- with its mission to shed light on the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault by providing online space for survivors and victims to connect, reach out and help one another as well as guidance for how to get help -- are important efforts to give women a voice, help them feel less alone, and get safe access to help and support.

Maggie, the founder and moderator of the Violence UnSilenced project, offered some insight and perspective in an interview about domestic violence and the awareness month.

Public Support For Health Reform Increases in September, Reversing Summer Declines as Congress Takes Up Legislation

From a Kaiser Family Foundation Press Release:

Survey Finds Support For New Proposals For Fees And Taxes on Insurance Companies to Help Pay For Overhaul

Public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans now believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever -- up from 53 percent in August. The proportion of Americans who think their families would be better off if health reform passes is up six percentage points (42% versus 36% in August), and the percentage who think that the country would be better off is up eight points (to 53% from 45% in August).

Despite the uptick, a substantial share of the public (47%) favors taking longer to work out a bipartisan approach to health reform, compared to 42 percent who would prefer to see Democrats move faster on their own. Meanwhile, the public continues to view the action in Washington with mixed feelings: The largest share (68%) said they were "hopeful" about reform, but 50% are "anxious" and 31% "angry."

"Opinion in the coming months is hard to predict, but as the focus shifted from the town halls and hot button issues to the President, the Congress and the core issues in the legislation that affect people the most, the summer downturn in support was largely erased," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman.

Upswing in Support Driven by Changes Among Republicans and Independents

Republicans and political independents became markedly more pessimistic about health reform in August, but those viewpoints softened in September. While 49 percent of Republicans say their family would be worse off if health reform passes, this is down from 61 percent in August. The percentage of independents saying they would be worse off fell from 36 percent in August to 26 percent this month.

Democrats remain overwhelmingly in favor of tackling health care now (77%), while most Republicans say we cannot afford to do so (63%) and independents are more evenly divided (51% in favor and 44% opposed).

Fifty-seven percent of the public -- including 56% of independents -- say the GOP is opposing reform plans more for political reasons than because they think reform will be bad for the country.

Senator Gillibrand Speaks Out about Senator Kyl's remarks

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who has a strong record of working to improve health care access coverage for all Americans, today issued a statement in response to Senator Kyl's (R-AZ) objection to covering maternity care:

I was very disturbed at Senator Kyl's remark that insurance companies should not be required to offer maternity care. Proper maternity care should be a basic right that every woman has affordable access to. Since he doesn't need maternity care, he does not understand its importance.

When I gave birth to my children, I was fortunate to have the coverage I needed. But it's becoming more and more difficult for millions of women around the country to gain access to basic maternity care.

I'm pleased that the Senate Finance Committee defeated the Kyl amendment, which would have stripped the ability of the federal government to define which benefits are covered in a standard private insurance package.

I'd prefer that we didn't need to force private insurers to do the right thing but the fact that only 60% of private insurance plans in the individual insurance market cover maternity care highlights the need for health insurance reform.

Hey Senator Kyl, GOP: Nice Family Values (NOT!)

Have you heard about the (fortunately now failed) amendment to health care reform that directly affected maternity care? Or read Senator Kyl's now infamous statement and Senator Stabenow's classic rebuttal? If not, check out Karoli's summary and take on it.

Insurance loved Kyl's position, of course.“The point of insurance is to insure against catastrophic care costs. That’s what you’re trying to aggregate and pool for such things as heart attacks and cancer,” said an Anthem Blue Cross spokesman. “Having a child is a matter of choice. Dealing with an adult onset illness, such as diabetes, heart disease. breast or prostate cancer, is not a matter of choice.”

As much as it pains me deeply at this precise moment to just let the "choice" discussion slide (and the point that diseases deserve to be treated but not pregnancy) -- for now -- I will to make a larger point. Unfortunately, Kyl's position (and the insurance industry's position) is a horrifically short-sighted view on the cost of maternity care. When maternity care is excluded, it can become a catastrophic event for families. That can lead to sicker mothers (more costly), sicker babies (more costly), and even tougher choices. When women lack the financial resources and health care to manage a pregnancy and child, they are more likely to abort or adopt out the baby.

Watch this 4 Minute Video to Understand The Obama Health Care Reform Plan

David Axelrod emailed me (and probably many, many other people) to say that if I spent 4 minutes watching 1 video, I could completely understand just what I'd get from health insurance reform.

I met David Axelrod mano-a-mano once for probably exactly 4 minutes and I'd say I learned just what I needed to in that time, so I decided to give him four minutes. One, I'm always interested to better understand exactly what we're proposing here to reform health care. Two, I like four minutes. I have four minutes. I bet you do, too.



Link to the site for more information, downloads and links:

Axelrod wrote, "The details the President outlines in this video are those that every American needs to know. No matter your political party or whether or not you have insurance, his plan for health care security and stability matters to all of us. Millions of American citizens cannot get health insurance — and 14,000 are losing their insurance every day. If we do nothing, half of Americans under the age of 65 will lose their health insurance at some point in the next ten years. That’s not right. Plain and simple."

I agree.

Hear My Story, Hear Our Stories: First Lady Michelle Obama on How Health Insurance Reform Can Help Women

[Official White House transcript of First Lady Michelle Obama's speech to women's advocacy groups at the White House today. You can view video of the entire event here. I have added at the end links to studies or issues mentioned where there were none in the original transcript. Giant H/T to MOMocrat Julie Pippert for organizing outreach/spreading the word on this, and to MOMocrat Glennia for the WH briefing. --Cynematic]

THE WHITE HOUSE

 

Office of the First Lady

________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                         September 18, 2009

 

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY

ON WHAT HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM MEANS

FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES

 

Eisenhower Executive Office Building

Room 450

11:33 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you all.  Please, sit.  Rest.  (Laughter.)  First of all, good morning.  I am so thrilled to see so many of you here this morning at the White House.  Welcome.  And that's including my good friend, Dr. Dorothy Height.  (Applause.)  You know, she is always there, for the past eight months and before.  If there was a big event, an important event, she finds a way to be here.  She is my inspiration, and it is wonderful to see you again today.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)

     Thank you all for joining us today for the outstanding work you're doing every day on behalf of women and families all across this country.  I have to thank our extraordinary Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, for taking the time to be here.  (Applause.)  And for her tireless efforts to keep our nation healthy.  And that includes not just pushing for health insurance reform but preparing us for H1N1, pursuing cutting-edge research to find treatments and cures for tomorrow.  Clearly this is not the easiest portfolio she could have, but she is doing a terrific job, and we are grateful for her leadership.

     And I also want to thank Tina Tchen, who you all know, for emceeing today.  (Applause.)  She, too, is doing a fabulous job as Director of our Office of Public Engagement, and she played a critical role in pulling together today's event -- not just as an emcee but as a key figurehead, making sure that we're all aware of what's going on.

     And finally, I want to thank the three women behind me -- to Debi, Easter, and Roxi.  (Applause.)  It is not easy to come here and tell your story.  And these stories aren't new.  You know, these stories are happening all over this country, not just for thousands of women -- for millions of them.  For two years on the campaign trail, this was what I heard from women, that they were being crushed, crushed by the current structure of our health care.  Crushed.  But these stories that we've heard today, and all of us -- if we're not experiencing it, we know someone who is.  These are the stories that remind us about what's at stake in this debate.  This is really all that matters.  This is why we are fighting so hard for health insurance reform.  This is it.  This is the face of the fight.